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nikkor

Baby boys are so fun to photograph. Enzo was no exception. I had so much fun getting dirty with him– I was combat rolling around in the dirt to get the shot while Enzo was playing in the dirt. We are both dedicated to Mother Earth!!! 😉

Tonight I intently listened to cracks in the sky and took in the gush of pine perfume. This weekend I opened all windows + doors and listened to song birds as I accomplished household chores. I guess the outdoors were missing me again because this short burst of a storm called my name. Nearly as soon as it came, the storm was gone. The stars were out again, cutting the darkness with diamond fire.

18mm, f/3.5, 30 sec exposure

I keep getting a feeling like I’m more connected to the stars and all the people I’ve ever met than I realize. Living in nature helped propel that connection. I am grateful for my sacred space on this Earth, for it is a space of wonder, amazement and creativity. A place to get lost and feel the joy kindred to that of a child. A safe space to learn, grow and create. I am even more grateful clients can enjoy it too. =)

Here is a roundup of the sky this week. It looks like the Moon and Orion are going to either have a duel or a dance off.

I’m still working on some of the pics from this shoot but wanted to post a few of my favorites. My mother in law and Laurean made this shoot happen! Laurean is such a professional and my mother in law used her horse whispering skills to ensure both models were happy!

I designed this shoot by the way. Laurean looked like everything I intended- intelligent, fierce and wild.

Adelynn has a very special place in my heart. I met her on the Vegas strip and now she’s in Texas splashing around with me in rain boots. Her mom and dad have their hands full but she’s one of the cutest lil hams I’ve ever laid my eyes on! Enjoy these fun pics that were taken on my property! It was a fabulous idea to get a house that can double as a studio. These were for fun.

Lil Miss Explorer finding treasures in the yard.

When we were on the back porch, she made friends with my Siddhartha and said, “Baby! Hi baby!” Her momma and I were cracking up.

Let me tell you what I miss: I was fearless with my creativity. As many of you know, it’s been a dark month for me. (see why by clicking here.) At 3:45 Saturday (7/14/12) morning, I came face to face with an intruder in my hallway. It was dark and I was trying to adjust my eyes. I locked eyes with a stranger, standing a foot away from him, petrified. In that frozen nanosecond, I saw fear in his eyes. I wasn’t afraid of the dark. I was afraid of what was in it. To make a long story short, my husband was BOSS, no one was killed or hurt, and nothing was stolen. It took the Houston police TWO hours to come save us by the way.

By the way, here is what works for us to deter intruders: a gun and a guard dog.

bad@ss mothaf#cka. bet.

Nonetheless, the next morning, my bff photography geek/mouth of the south/GENIUS photographer and lighting idol, Jason Talley, see his AMAZING work by clicking HERE!, called me. We were supposed to do a shoot together but I really didn’t feel like it. I didn’t get much sleep, and let’s face it, life felt like it took a big fat dump on me. I told Jason I didn’t feel like going. He said something to the effect of, “That’s total bullshit. You’re just being lazy. You’re making excuses. You will find any excuse to not do what you love. Get up. Get out. See you at one.” I sat in silence, stunned at his forthrightness. I’m not lazy. I had 1500 hrs on an Air Force plane. I got my master’s degree in 10 months with a 4.0. Life blows sometimes, but I’ll be damned if I’ll be called lazy. I’m strong. And Jason has been through HELL with his childhood. In ten years, I’ve never heard him complain about work and I flew and deployed with him. So, I got my camera and met him at one o’clock. If he can rise above and shoot for owning his talent, so could I.

love this one.

free spirit.

Here are my fav pics:

slideshow below.

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Here’s the truth. A friend tells you what you NEED to hear, not what you want to hear. Jason lit a fire under my ass. Jason showed me lighting and let me be as creative as I wanted to be- he taught me soooooo much about external lighting. He got some wonderful shots of our diverse and beautiful model, Sarah Dyer, and I got a few good shots as well. My camera felt like a respite to my soul. That helped me be fearless with my creativity. When I thanked Jason for that, because it means the world to me, he acted like it was no big deal. He was just glad to see me back at work. Now that’s a friend. Thanks Jason. A big thanks to the sweet Sarah (and her patient boyfriend Josh) for being so awesome. ❤

Your creativity is your prayer to this world. Witholding my gift of photography is doing a disservice to both myself and God. The world is crying out for fearless people to inspire with creativity- for these people to own themselves and put in the work. Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. Let it lead the way to your joy.